Equalizing chase clamp



NOV. 28, 1 Eq LEE ET AL I EQUALIZING CHASE CLAMP Filed Oct. 5, 1931 {HUGIVOYS dumes Le@ PWM) d. Toex A mg Cir;

Patented Nov. 28, `1933 *UNITED js'ra'res YEQUALI'ZING CHASE CLAMP y v James Edgar Lee, Freeman Barney, .and Philip J. Beatty, Grand Haven, Mich., assignors to Challenge Machinery Company, Grand Haven, Mich., a corporation otMichigan i Appiieauen center 5, i931. serial No'. "567,000

e canas. (ci. 25e- 42) This invention relates to an equalizing chase clamp which-has among its objects and purposes the'quick lock-up and holding of a form Within aV chase, through the operation of a clamp which is actuated to press simultaneously with equal pressures against two Ysides of the form so as to torce the same against two sides of the chase and hold theforn'i securely against movement. The construction further enables the lvery quick clamping or locking or the release or the form through a simple operating mechanism for actuating the clamp and, further, the operating means ior actuating the clamp is manually controlled from above and within the outside limits of the chase, .making the clamping device for the chase available for use in substantially allA places on a printing presswhich would be impossible if the manually operable means extended laterally beyond the sides of thev chase. The locking or unlocking oi the forms is accomplished almost instantly and the time saved in locking up iorms or in changing the same and locking aV second form in place of the iirst is great.

An understanding of the invention for the at- "i tainment of the ends stated may be had trom the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a chase equipped with the equalizing chase clamp of our invention, and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section substantially on the plane or" line 2 2 oi Fig. 1.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the two gures of the drawing.

The chase is of usual rectangular form having vertical parallel sides l connected by similar parallel sides 2 forming a frame in which the iorrn 3 of type or type characters, electroplates or the like are placed. The form in practice is surbars 4 which lie thereagainst are located inwardly a distance from the remaining sides 1 and 2 of the chase and in the elongated spaces left the equalizing clamping apparatus oi our invention is disposed.

Included in the clamping apparatus are two stationary bars 5 and 6, having inner sides which bear against the bars or plates 4 and outer sides provided with a series of inclined wedging steps 7. The bar 6 has associated with it a movable 'clamping bar 8, the outerside of which bears vsnugly' against the inner side of a side 2 of the chase, While the inner side of the bar 8 is provided with complementary inclined wedging steps 9y to bear against the steps 7 of the clamping bar-6 previously described, and as fully shown in Fig. 1.

The clamping bar 5 has associated with it a movable clamping bar 10, the outer side Vof'which bears against thel inner side of the remaining'side 'l oi the chase, whileV the inner side of the'bar 10 is provided with complementary inclined wedge steps llassociated with and bearing against the inclined Awedge steps 'liof the .bar 5, as shown.

The 'bar 10 has an elongated recess ordepression 12 in its upper side in which a rack bar member 13 is located and permanently secured to the bar 10, its outer side being in the same plane with the outer side of the bar 10.. A movable rack bar. 14 is slidably mounted and guided by a tongue l'atthe innerside of the recessportion 12. The bar 14 extends beyond one end of the clamping par 10 and is provided with a head 16. The head 16 and the adjacent end or the movable clamping bar S, which lies at right angles to the movable clamping bar 10, are connected by a link 17 pivotally secured at its ends respectively t0 the head 16 and the adjacent end of the bar 8.

The rack bars 13 and 14 have their rack portions extending by each other. Between the rack portions a manually operated actuating device or key is adapted to be placed, said device comprising a vertical shank 18, a pinion 19 at its lower end and a handle 20 at its upper. end. The pinion 19, inserted between the spaced apart rack teeth, engages with both and on turning the operating member or key, the rack bar members 13 and 14 have relative movement with respect to each other, in one direction or the other dependent upon the direction of turning movement imparted to the pinion 19.

On turning the operating key in a clockwise direction (Fig. l) the rack bar 13and its permanently attached bar 10 may be shifted to the left whereupon the wedging surfaces as 7 and 11 engage against each other with a consequent tendency to force the clamping bar 5 against the adjacent side of the form; and simultaneously therewith the rack bar 14 is moved to the right actuating the link 17 which moves the clamping bar 8 so as to cause a wedging clamping engagement of the inclined surfaces 7 and 9 of bars 6 and 8. The pressure on the sides of the form is equalized through this connection and construction described ior, upon either theY bar 8 or 10 engaging with its complementary clamping bar 6 or 5, there til-.5

will be a resistance to longitudinal movement of said clamping bar 8 or 10 and the one which rst engages with its complementary bar 6 or 5 will be stopped in movement until the same resistance has arisen with respect to the other, so that there is a direct, even and equal clamping action on the two sides of the form which in turn is transmitted to the opposite sides of the form, substantially direct engagement being had with the sides of the chase.

It is apparent that the time of operation either in clamping or unclamping the form is very short. It requires only a single turning` movement of the operating key member in the desired direction to effect either the lock-up or the release thereof. It is also apparent that by reason of the operating key member extending directly upward from within the side limits of the chase, that the chase may be located in any desired position in a printing press which would not be the case if the operating device extended horizontally and laterally beyond a side of the chase. After the clamping lock-up has been secured the operating key is removed and is not used again until the form is to be released.

The construction described has proved very practical and satisfactory in all respects. The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

We claim: f

1. In combination with a chase having a form, stationary quoins bearing against each of two adjacent sides of the form, a movable quoin between one of said stationary quoins and the adjacent inner side of the chase, said movable quoin being recessed in its upper side, a rack member secured to said movable quoin in said recess, a second rack member slidably mounted on said movable quoin and having its teeth in opposition to the first rack member and provided with ahead at one end extending beyond the adjacent end of said movable quoin, a second longitudinal movable quoin between the same and the remaining inner side of the chase, and a link pivotally connected to said head and to the adjacent end of said last mentioned movable quoin, as and for the purposes specied.

2. In combination with a chase having a form, quoins bearing against each of the two adjacent sides of the form, a movable quoin between one of said stationary quoins and the adjacent inner side of the chase, a rack member secured to said movable quoin,v a second rack member slidably mounted on said movable quoin and having its teeth in opposition to the first mentioned rack member, a second longitudinal movable quoin between the same and the remaining inner side of the chase and a link pivotally connected to said secon-d rack member and to the adjacent end of the said last mentioned movable quoin.

3. In combination with a chase having a form therein, stationary quoins bearing against each of two adjacent sides of the form extending at an angle relative to each other, a movable wedging quoin located between each of the respective stationary quoins and the respective adjacent sides of the chase, a slide member movably associated with one of said wedging quoins and movable in a direction parallel with its respective side of thf` chase, manual means for moving said slide member relative to its wedging quoin'and a link extending diagonally between said slide member and the other movable wedging quoin and pivotally connected to said slide member and said wedging quoin.

JAMES EDGAR LEE. FREEMAN BARNEY. PHILIP J. BEATTY. 

